§ Mr. ClayTo ask the Secretary of State for Social Security pursuant to his answer on 4 July,Official Report, column 607, what increases in national insurance contribution rates would be needed to pay for a basic retirement pension of £58.65 for a single person and £94.05 for a couple if the Treasury supplement to the national insurance fund were reintroduced at the same rate as in 1979.
§ Mrs. Gillian ShephardThere would be no increase needed in national insurance contributions were the Treasury supplement to the national insurance fund to be reintroduced at its 1979 level. However a supplement at that level is equivalent to, for example, nearly 5p in the pound on basic rate income tax in 1990–91.